Local cops don't deal show-biz--unspoken rule. Famous is career-killer. Used to be different. Used to have Elliot Ness and busting famous was point of pride. Now? Need permission. Need note from teacher to go take piss. Can't move on anything anymore, all political. Don't hate politics, kind of like it. Some say politics breeds hostility and corruption. Don't agree. Believe politics helps bring it out. Makes job easier. Makes people like Actor easier to find--got sloppy because knows nobody'll bust him.

Actor needs new agent, guess I'll take job.

Dedrick Brown, informant to the stars, is weasley little black man. Description rubs people wrong way. Criminal element in black community hyped by pop-culture--images of large, muscular Nubian princes running dark underbelly of city come to mind. New Jack City. Sugar Hill. Marcellus Wallace. All P.R. Not all are Thugz. Most don't want to be. Organized crime can't afford high profile. Crazy black men with guns in colored bandanas and sporting wear driving Impala's and doing drive-by shootings all hyped by Hollywood. More accurate--Dedrick Brown, informant to the stars. Weasley, little, shifty smack-addict. 90% of organized crime is made of Dedrick Browns of world, informants to the stars.

Dedrick Brown, informant to the stars, weighs one-twenty... one-thirty tops. Held him over edge of Etize View Apartment building for bit over two minutes. More impressive than people think. Lot of weight to hold. Didn't mean to drop him. Hear the crack as coconut head splits on curb. Second sound. Sound... unpleasant. Needed Dedrick. Have to find another chatty informant to the stars, for future.

Dedrick Brown, former informant to the stars, told me surprising things. Have to check if true. Keep thinking about Calows. Keep thinking about patience.

Spend next night in dog house in back yard. Dog... gone. Dog be fine in few days. Just gone. Little known fact--chain dog to tree on sidewalk six blocks away overnight. Dog tags rarely have address--who wants crook finding house? Phone number, at most. Pooch had name, phone. Will be found by cops, dog-catchers, etc. next morning. Puts dog out of equation for twenty-four hours, easy. Trick of trade. Dog house cramped, but yard is dark. Good vantage point. Dog and yard in poor condition. Not likely to have visitor coming to see Pooch. Safe.

Want this one to be good. Patience. Patience and screwdriver and paper and tape. Patience for mood, screwdriver for climax, rest set stage. Part of me knows putting on show is waste of time, other part of me knows that show is effective--makes next guy think twice about raping children.

Actor leaves house at half-past nine. Late. Comes back with son and son's friend. Remember what Dedrick Brown, former informant to the stars, said. Keep eye on trio. Living room warm looking. Actor bring out drinks. Red. Punch? Look on kids' face tells volumes. Punch... with "punch". Watching movie. Probably Actor's latest. Everyone having good time. Grouped up nice on couch. Like family. Like friends. Arms slip around boys. Stroking. Playing with hair.

Actor leans over to friend of son. Smells him? Hard to see. Talking now, hard to read lips from this angle. Had to learn how to years ago--no fancy electronics, no super-hearing like in comic books. Something about "fun". Only word I can make out. "Fun". Actor looks serious, no more smiling, turns away from me for moment. Grabs friend of son's wrists and pulls shirt up.

Not interested in that. Knew that was going to happen. More interested in son. Dedrick Brown, former informant to the stars, raced head-first toward pavement so I could pay attention to son.

Son leaves room. Comes back by time Actor starts taking off friend of son's pants. Duct tape. Starts duct taping friend's wrists--friend crying and whimpering. Son tapes up wrists, takes off own pants and underwear. Makes friend suck him off. Actor starts stroking self at sight. Dedrick Brown, former informant to the stars, gave good info. Almost feel bad about dropping him, then remember guy he knifed month ago for capful of "sugar". Quick death, more than he deserved.

Friend of son getting pants and underwear taken off. Had enough. Take last of screws out of inside of doghouse. Time to go to work.

Pitch screwdriver at glass door.

Thunk.

Everyone...

freezes...

in...

place.

Friend still whimpering. Actor slaps him, orders son to do something, can't tell what. Actor puts dick away and looks at door. Little known fact by scum. Dark outside, light inside means can't see outside. Actor figures as much out in a second or two, cuts lights on in backyard. Single overhead bulb on fifteen foot post. Not a lot of light. Enough to see yard empty.

When younger, used to carry around camera. Catch look on faces. Camera almost got me killed, the whirring and clicking was overheard during drug deal... got shot. Had to abandon camera. But times like this... had old camera for times just like this. Can't have it all. Have to settle for what can be gotten. Take mental picture of Actor. Look on face is scared. Very scared.

Eyes go back to yard. Time to earn keep. Fast fact--take central dozen screws out of doghouse, doghouse becomes house of cards. Take my time standing up in the dark yard... doghouse falls to pieces and where it stood is me. Smile at Actor. Actor thinks for split-second about running. Son comes to door and turns white. I am son's worst nightmare. Urine trickles down leg. Actor grabs him tight and they stand there, shaking, as I walk the yard toward the door. Actor wants to run, but is smarter than that--plays part perfectly. Doesn't want me to cancel contract. Son too scared to do anything more than cry. Thirteen year olds are easy.

One pane of glass. Two perverts. One me. Two yards away. One finger pointing at the switch from my side of the glass. Two seconds to comprehend. One switch goes click. Two sexual predators tremble as one yard light goes dark.

Can almost hear Actor's heart thundering.

Doesn't know what to do.

Son's friend behind couch, can't see what's going on. See his legs wriggle, son must have put him there to hide him. Good. Don't want boy seeing this, anyway. Got enough problems. Left hand breaks glass, right goes into Actor's face. Again. And again. And again. Grab screwdriver off floor. Lose myself in the moment and stab Actor four times in neck before getting senses back Son faints. House is quiet except for whimpering behind couch.

Grab son. Leave. Make anonymous call to authorities after. They'll find friend of son. He'll tell them what happened. Son and I have talk that night after waking up. Held him over the edge of Etize View Apartment building for minute or so, while he spilled guts about him and daddy. raping friends. All hush-hush. Pull him up before another Dedrick Brown, former informant to the stars, miscalculation happens.